Noida Cyber Fraud Scheme Busted: 84 Arrested in Elaborate Scam Operation
Noida, a bustling city in India, witnessed a significant breakthrough as law enforcement agencies dismantled a highly orchestrated cyber fraud scheme, resulting in the arrest of 84 individuals on a fateful Wednesday. The operation’s complexity and scale have sent shockwaves through the city and beyond.
According to credible media reports, the suspects had ingeniously exploited leaked American social security numbers to orchestrate a large-scale calling operation targeting unsuspecting citizens of the United States. Posing as representatives from the revered US Social Security Administration, the fraudulent actors manipulated victims through fear-inducing tactics, coercing them into yielding their hard-earned money.
Central to this nefarious web of deceit was a nondescript call center nestled in Noida’s Sector 6. The masterminds behind this operation, identified as Harshit Kumar and Yogesh Pandit, alias Anna, remain at large, evading the law’s grasp. This call center served as the operational nucleus, employing predominantly young individuals with honed skills in handling various business process outsourcing (BPO) functions. These recruits underwent rigorous training, perfecting their American accents and speech patterns, fundamental to the scam’s authenticity.
Upon recruitment, new employees were furnished with meticulously crafted scripts, which they diligently practiced for a two-day span. A comprehensive evaluation of their proficiency followed on the third day, determining their suitability for the task ahead. Authorities revealed that the call center managed to establish contact with a staggering 400,000 American citizens, successfully ensnaring and deceiving over 600 victims.
The illicit operation yielded daily revenues of ₹40 lakh (equivalent to approximately $53,700). “The 84 employees, including 38 women, were aware of the fraud but had neither informed the cops nor quit the job because of the high incentives they drew,” highlighted DCP Harish Chander, shedding light on the internal dynamics of the call center.
The technical infrastructure was just as intricate as the scheme itself. Utilizing software tools such as VICIdial and eyeBeam, the call center orchestrated voice message campaigns targeting recipients. These messages, designed to spark concern, alerted recipients to purported anomalies with their social security numbers (SSN) due to alleged “suspicious activity.” Concerned recipients were urged to promptly return the call to a designated number for immediate resolution.
When victims dialed back, call center employees skillfully simulated access to their case files, extracting vital personal information including names and zip codes. With victims on edge, the fraudulent representatives disclosed a fabricated suspension order against their SSN, leveraging this ruse to extract the last four digits of the SSN from the victims.
The deception then escalated exponentially. Victims were led to believe their SSN was associated with a gamut of fictional criminal activities, ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering and vehicle-related fraud. Exploiting the ensuing fear, victims were coerced into divulging their bank details. Subsequently, victims were transferred to individuals masquerading as officers from the US Marshals Service. This secondary layer of deception advised victims to secure their funds using cryptocurrency or gift cards, ostensibly to evade an imminent bank account seizure. This sophisticated maneuver provided the scammers a variety of ways to gain unauthorized access to victims’ funds.
Charges imposed on them
The charges levied against the call center employees encompass IPC provisions 420 (pertaining to fraud) and 120B (related to criminal conspiracy), alongside sections of the IT Act, according to law enforcement officials. In the aftermath of the crackdown, authorities have successfully confiscated 150 computers, ₹20 lakh in cash, a Creta car, and a collection of essential documents. As the investigation unfolds, forensic and cyber units are meticulously examining the confiscated computers to gather crucial digital evidence.
The pursuit of justice remains ongoing, as authorities strive to apprehend the primary orchestrators of this intricate scam, Harshit Kumar and Yogesh Pandit. Simultaneously, they endeavor to quantify the full extent of the cyber fraud’s far-reaching consequences. The dismantling of this fraudulent operation stands as a testament to the tenacity of law enforcement agencies and their commitment to upholding the law in the ever-evolving landscape of cybercrime.
